Debunking the Super Bowl and Human Trafficking Myth
Super Bowl and Human Trafficking – Myth?
Presented by:
Minal Patel Davis
Special Advisor to the Mayor on Human Trafficking
Office of Mayor Sylvester Turner
Office
: (832) 393-0977
Cell
: (832) 596-9965
:
Minal.Davis@houstontx.gov
Website
:
HumanTraffickingHouston.org
II. Claims Surrounding
Super Bowl and Sex Trafficking
•
Debunk claims surrounding Super Bowl
•
The Claims
•
“Super Bowl is the single largest sex trafficking incident in the U.S.”
•
Media claimed that anywhere from “10,000 to 100,000” sex slaves
arrive in a host city
•
Problem with Claims
•
Not supported by data
•
Data is evolving, discuss latest one of a kind study published in
February 2016 by Carnegie Mellon
III. Latest Study
•
Researchers with Carnegie Mellon University examined 33 events
comparable to Super Bowl in the U.S. from October 2011 to February
2016, and in Canada from July 2013 to February 2016.
•
Data set included over 32 million online sex ads, researchers used a
7 day window leading up to the event and a 91 day inference window
making it a first of its kind of study.
•
Study focused on online postings of “new-to-town” escort
advertisements.
•
The highest spikes in increased postings were in Vancouver, Myrtle
Beach and Charlotte.
III. Latest Study - Continued
•
The event associated with the spikes in Myrtle Beach was the Memorial Day
bike rally. There was no major event in Vancouver and an unidentified local
event in Charlotte.
•
Increases in new to town ads for Super Bowl ranged from 19 to 91 ads during
the past 4 Super Bowls, the influx of sex slaves to a Host Super Bowl City is
much less than originally thought.
•
There is a correlation between the Super Bowl that is statistically significant
evidence of new to town ads, however, there are other events that show a
more significant increase in postings than the Super Bowl.
•
Finding: New to town ads increased around Super Bowls, but increase, while
statistically significant, falls within the variance expected and predicted over
time.
III. Latest Study - Continued
•
Volume of overall observed advertisements justify the need for a long term
response. This ad volume ranged from 454 to 2,554 ads in different Super Bowl
Host cities.
•
The increases in overall observed ads for past Super Bowls range from 129 to 573
ads higher than expected. These include local and new to town ads.
•
Other events like the Consumer Electronics Show, Formula 1, The Oracle World
Convention also showed increases on par with past Super Bowls.
III. Latest Study - Continued
“… our analysis highlights that human trafficking affects our
country across varied locations, communities, and events,
and we cannot isolate its impact to only one event per year.”
Miller, Kennedy, and Dubrawski, “Do Public Events Affect
Sex Trafficking Activity?”: 6-8 (emphasis added).
“Reliance on quantitative evidence accessible through data-
driven analysis can inform wise resource allocation, guide
good policies, and foster the most meaningful impact.”
Miller, Kennedy, and Dubrawski: 8 (emphasis added).
IV. Guide to Approach
•
From Jan to June 2015, Houston showed that we had over 20,000
online sex ad postings.
•
Because we are soon to be the third largest city and we host a
variety of events, we need a comprehensive and non reactive
approach.
•
None of the 33 events studied are on the GRB calendar, it is unclear
what the impact is on increased ad postings for the specific events
Houston is hosting.
•
Because data continues to evolve, a 365 day-a-year response is best.
V. Anti-Human
Trafficking Efforts - Highlights
Vision and Goals
•
Highlight components of City’s Anti-Human Trafficking response that may be
most relevant to hosting upcoming events.
•
Institutionalize response to human trafficking from within the City of
Houston, ensuring that trafficking is structurally addressed.
•
Change the public’s perception about human trafficking, leading to an
increased awareness about, and reporting of, human trafficking.
•
Partner with key private industries to raise awareness such as the hotel and
taxi industry.
IV. Anti-Human
Trafficking Efforts Highlights – Cont’d
Objective: Institutionalize City of Houston Response and Implement Trainings
•
Strategy: Analyze and Pass Ordinances and Departmental Policies
•
Propose additional ordinance amendments as necessary.
•
Houston Health Department has signed a policy requiring all 1,200 employees to be trained.
•
Strategy: Implement Trainings or Informational Videos for City Departments
•
Engage Houston Health Department, Houston Municipal Court, Houston Police Department (Jail
Division), Houston Airport System, Houston Fire Department, and 311 operators.
•
Highlight
: Houston Airport System, incorporating a short video about human trafficking into
their airport culture to recognize and report crime as part of their badging process.
IV. Anti-Human
Trafficking Efforts Highlights – Cont’d
Objective: Raise Awareness and Change Public Perception
•
Strategy: Develop and launch joint anti human trafficking media campaign
•
Leading campaign with HPD, the Harris County DA, and United Against Human Trafficking.
•
A Houston PR/Consulting firm has offered to develop the campaign and donate all creative
capital.
•
Strategy: Hold Events to Raise the Level of Dialogue and Engage Influencers
•
Convene human trafficking thought leaders in Houston on an annual basis.
•
Screen Siddharth Kara’s Hollywood feature film,
Trafficked
, and conclude with a panel discussion
featuring Mr. Kara, Mayor Turner and Texas law enforcement officers.
•
Develop
relationships with influencers to engage their voice in the anti-trafficking movement
and influence their fans (e.g. sports leagues and celebrities).
IV. Anti-Human
Trafficking Efforts – Highlights – Cont’d
Objective: Implement Joint Initiatives of HAC-HT
Background: The Houston Area Council on Human Trafficking is an initiative of the
Mayor’s Office. Stakeholders are convened to collaborate on joint anti-human trafficking
initiatives framed by the vision and goals of the Mayor’s Office. Law enforcement is
represented, but HAC-HT does not operate in a law enforcement capacity.
•
Strategy: Implement a Hotel Training Program
•
Coordinate hotel-based voluntary trainings.
•
Encourage voluntary trainings by speaking at Hotel and Motel Association events.
•
Strategy: Engage Taxi Industry
•
Identify and contact most-used taxi cab companies about implementing employee
training and sending mass text and email blasts.
•
Concentrate and coordinate blasts around events.
References
•
For reference
: “Child Sex Rings Spike during Super Bowl Week,” USA Today,
February 1
st
, 2011.
•
For reference
: Kyle Miller, Emily Kennedy, and Artur Dubrawski, “Do Public
Events Affect Sex Trafficking Activity?” published on-line by Auton Lab (February
15
th
, 2016): 1-10, accessed February 16
th
, 2016,
www.arxiv.org/pdf/1602.05048v1.pdf
.
•
For reference:
The inaugural symposium held on October 29
th
, 2015 featured
Bradley Myles
(Polaris' Chief Executive Officer),
Siddharth Kara
(wrote
Sex
Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Day Slavery),
Brooke Axtell
(Director
of Communications and Engagement for Allies Against Slavery), and
Dorchen
Leidholdt
(Director of the Center for Battered Women’s Legal Services at
Sanctuary for Families in NYC).
Debunking the myth that the Super Bowl is a major sex trafficking event, a study by Carnegie Mellon University found that while there is an increase in new-to-town escort ads around Super Bowls, it falls within expected variances. The study compared 33 events in the US and Canada, showing that other events had more significant increases in postings. The study suggests the need for a long-term response to combat human trafficking beyond just major events like the Super Bowl.
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Presentation Transcript
Super Bowl and Human Trafficking Myth? Presented by: Minal Patel Davis Special Advisor to the Mayor on Human Trafficking Office of Mayor Sylvester Turner Office: (832) 393-0977 Cell: (832) 596-9965 E-Mail: Minal.Davis@houstontx.gov Website: HumanTraffickingHouston.org
II. Claims Surrounding Super Bowl and Sex Trafficking Debunk claims surrounding Super Bowl The Claims Super Bowl is the single largest sex trafficking incident in the U.S. Media claimed that anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 sex slaves arrive in a host city Problem with Claims Not supported by data Data is evolving, discuss latest one of a kind study published in February 2016 by Carnegie Mellon
III. Latest Study Researchers with Carnegie Mellon University examined 33 events comparable to Super Bowl in the U.S. from October 2011 to February 2016, and in Canada from July 2013 to February 2016. Data set included over 32 million online sex ads, researchers used a 7 day window leading up to the event and a 91 day inference window making it a first of its kind of study. Study focused on online postings of new-to-town escort advertisements. The highest spikes in increased postings were in Vancouver, Myrtle Beach and Charlotte.
III. Latest Study - Continued The event associated with the spikes in Myrtle Beach was the Memorial Day bike rally. There was no major event in Vancouver and an unidentified local event in Charlotte. Increases in new to town ads for Super Bowl ranged from 19 to 91 ads during the past 4 Super Bowls, the influx of sex slaves to a Host Super Bowl City is much less than originally thought. There is a correlation between the Super Bowl that is statistically significant evidence of new to town ads, however, there are other events that show a more significant increase in postings than the Super Bowl. Finding: New to town ads increased around Super Bowls, but increase, while statistically significant, falls within the variance expected and predicted over time.
III. Latest Study - Continued Expected - New to town ads Town ads Difference Super Bowl City Observed -New to New to Town ads- Expected All ads Observed All ads All ads- Difference 2016 SB 50 San Jose 106 169 63 624 1,111 487 2015 SB 49 Phoenix 124 215 91 2,334 2,554 220 2014 SB 48 Manhattan 84 100 16 1,663 2,236 573 2013 SB 47 New Orleans 61 104 43 325 454 129 Volume of overall observed advertisements justify the need for a long term response. This ad volume ranged from 454 to 2,554 ads in different Super Bowl Host cities. The increases in overall observed ads for past Super Bowls range from 129 to 573 ads higher than expected. These include local and new to town ads. Other events like the Consumer Electronics Show, Formula 1, The Oracle World Convention also showed increases on par with past Super Bowls.
III. Latest Study - Continued our analysis highlights that human trafficking affects our country across varied locations, communities, and events, and we cannot isolate its impact to only one event per year. Miller, Kennedy, and Dubrawski, Do Public Events Affect Sex Trafficking Activity? : 6-8 (emphasis added). Reliance on quantitative evidence accessible through data- driven analysis can inform wise resource allocation, guide good policies, and foster the most meaningful impact. Miller, Kennedy, and Dubrawski: 8 (emphasis added).
IV. Guide to Approach From Jan to June 2015, Houston showed that we had over 20,000 online sex ad postings. Because we are soon to be the third largest city and we host a variety of events, we need a comprehensive and non reactive approach. None of the 33 events studied are on the GRB calendar, it is unclear what the impact is on increased ad postings for the specific events Houston is hosting. Because data continues to evolve, a 365 day-a-year response is best.
V. Anti-Human Trafficking Efforts - Highlights Vision and Goals Highlight components of City s Anti-Human Trafficking response that may be most relevant to hosting upcoming events. Institutionalize response to human trafficking from within the City of Houston, ensuring that trafficking is structurally addressed. Change the public s perception about human trafficking, leading to an increased awareness about, and reporting of, human trafficking. Partner with key private industries to raise awareness such as the hotel and taxi industry.
IV. Anti-Human Trafficking Efforts Highlights Cont d Objective: Institutionalize City of Houston Response and Implement Trainings Strategy: Analyze and Pass Ordinances and Departmental Policies Propose additional ordinance amendments as necessary. Houston Health Department has signed a policy requiring all 1,200 employees to be trained. Strategy: Implement Trainings or Informational Videos for City Departments Engage Houston Health Department, Houston Municipal Court, Houston Police Department (Jail Division), Houston Airport System, Houston Fire Department, and 311 operators. Highlight: Houston Airport System, incorporating a short video about human trafficking into their airport culture to recognize and report crime as part of their badging process.
IV. Anti-Human Trafficking Efforts Highlights Cont d Objective: Raise Awareness and Change Public Perception Strategy: Develop and launch joint anti human trafficking media campaign Leading campaign with HPD, the Harris County DA, and United Against Human Trafficking. A Houston PR/Consulting firm has offered to develop the campaign and donate all creative capital. Strategy: Hold Events to Raise the Level of Dialogue and Engage Influencers Convene human trafficking thought leaders in Houston on an annual basis. Screen Siddharth Kara s Hollywood feature film, Trafficked, and conclude with a panel discussion featuring Mr. Kara, Mayor Turner and Texas law enforcement officers. Developrelationships with influencers to engage their voice in the anti-trafficking movement and influence their fans (e.g. sports leagues and celebrities).
IV. Anti-Human Trafficking Efforts Highlights Cont d Objective: Implement Joint Initiatives of HAC-HT Background: The Houston Area Council on Human Trafficking is an initiative of the Mayor s Office. Stakeholders are convened to collaborate on joint anti-human trafficking initiatives framed by the vision and goals of the Mayor s Office. Law enforcement is represented, but HAC-HT does not operate in a law enforcement capacity. Strategy: Implement a Hotel Training Program Coordinate hotel-based voluntary trainings. Encourage voluntary trainings by speaking at Hotel and Motel Association events. Strategy: Engage Taxi Industry Identify and contact most-used taxi cab companies about implementing employee training and sending mass text and email blasts. Concentrate and coordinate blasts around events.
References For reference: Child Sex Rings Spike during Super Bowl Week, USA Today, February 1st, 2011. For reference: Kyle Miller, Emily Kennedy, and Artur Dubrawski, Do Public Events Affect Sex Trafficking Activity? published on-line by Auton Lab (February 15th, 2016): 1-10, accessed February 16th, 2016, www.arxiv.org/pdf/1602.05048v1.pdf. For reference: The inaugural symposium held on October 29th, 2015 featured Bradley Myles (Polaris' Chief Executive Officer), Siddharth Kara (wrote Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Day Slavery), Brooke Axtell (Director of Communications and Engagement for Allies Against Slavery), and Dorchen Leidholdt (Director of the Center for Battered Women s Legal Services at Sanctuary for Families in NYC).
